Show Reviews

This was my first Phish show!!! Yes, I had a choice between the 2 nights and I chose night 2. Then again at the time I'd have had no idea what Gamehenge was. I was 14, and my father drove my friend Jake and I to Mansfield. This is the show for me that started it all.

A few of us had found a large rock in the woods near the main parking lot after the Gamehenge show and took shelter there for the night. Day two produced our first copy of the helping friendly book. It was similar to Dead base but had phish shows going back to the beginning. This dude in a Bus was selling then eventually giving away silver... Many of us were flying free with the One spirit. A vivid memory of sitting in the parking lot with the wind turning the pages to the HFB will forever Be here. We danced like a mirror to the music. A ticket stub allowed for travelling up front then wandering up to the lawn... We saw ourselves up on the video screens for the lawn. It really went beyond words into the formless. Loved this show

My second show, first 2 setter. I arrived with friends of a friend, who were all veterans by then. They insisted on bemoaning "Down with Disease" and all the accessibility of Hoist on the way up from Providence. I immediately wandered off and enjoyed the show anonymously embedded. Needless to say, I was very stoked when DWD started up in the 1st set. Twenty Years Later, I can close my eyes and still conjure up visions of Jim, DWD, Antelope, SOAM, Suzy, and the Encore. Antelope was the highlight for me. I exited this show floating.

Forever overshadowed by the previous night, this show is underrated and is worthy of greater recognition. As we all know, Summer ‘94 was a peak time for the band. This show was no exception, with killer playing and a knockout setlist. Kudos to @kipman for highlighting this fine show in the underrated shows forum posts. Reading this column and having attended this show (and the previous night, thankfully) inspired another listen. I wasn’t disappointed and it was fun reliving the show.

The band opens with the classic early-to-mid-90s combo of Jim > Foam. I really love this pairing and both are solid renditions, with Foam being its usual awesome self. I really miss that tune being in regular rotation. After a brief but welcome Gumbo we come to Maze. This Maze is a strong version and an early highlight of the set.

Next comes Guelah, which I’ll take anytime, followed by a decent Scent. I like this version but it’s not anything that’s really noteworthy. We then get a short and still evolving DWD followed by Horse > Silent, and then to Antelope to close the set. The Antelopes from this era were generally incredible and this one is no exception. I love this version. We get a little Call to the Post, leading into the build filled with intensity and verve. Trey wails on this one. This is exactly what the crowd needs to send us into set break.

Opening Set II is a short 2001, leading effortlessly into Melt. This was a peak time for this tune during this peak era, so the chances were good that this one would smoke. And smoke it does. The band is in full sync here, which I can only describe as organized chaos. There is some screaming at a few points during the jam, and some laughter at the end, which is actually the perfect way to end this magnificent, frenzied version.

Up next is Fluffhead, another highlight, as this is a very nicely played version that is perfectly placed in the set before leading into Poor Heart. The band is unrelenting so far, and this continues as this then leads into Tweezer. This version is relatively short and while it has a few moments that are interesting it’s not a particularly noteworthy take. Lifeboy, Sparkle and BBJ give us a chance to catch our breaths before the Hood > Suzy closing sequence. This Hood is a fantastic version of one of my favorite tunes, with a strong peak before its finale.

Sleeping Monkey and Tweezeprise close it out nicely. Overall, this is an excellent show that deserves numerous listens as it has a lot to offer, including stellar versions of Maze, Antelope, Melt Fluffhead, and Hood. This show is an underrated gem.

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